Reddit dunks on kid complaining about porn site shutting down

As Tumblr’s purge of NSFW material swept the internet, another go-to spot for porn, Hentai Haven, quietly shut down. On Dec. 19, the adult entertainment service’s content disappeared abruptly and was replaced with a farewell message.

Hentai was one of the top four searches on PornHub last year, so it likely doesn’t need defining, but for those few out of the loop: It’s animated porn.

Some on the internet were devastated at the news of Hentai Haven’s shuttering. Many alternative sites require accounts or subscriptions, and top competitors like PornHub offer a limited selection amid tons of porn with real-life actors. One (very) young viewer, in particular, was so distraught he had his friend upload a video of his reaction. Then Reddit found the video and did what Reddit does best: blew it up.

“I can’t see big anime titties anymore,” the kid laments before calling another leading porn site, XVideos, “fucking gay” and pleading for Hentai Haven to be revived.

In just 22 seconds, he embodies the absurdity of the internet. It’s hardly a surprise that kids his age would be trying to sneak a glimpse at porn. It’s troubling, however, that now the whole world can know about it, thanks to the cultural compulsion—particularly of younger generations—to post on social media. The rant currently sits just shy of 175,000 views.

YouTube user TheRealElite uploaded the original clip, then in a later video thanked the audience for 100,000 views and explained that it was of their friend. TheRealElite did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.

Reddit user stigsmotocousin spotted the video after it was shared in a Discord group and had only 300 views. “The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew it was destined for greatness,” stigsmotocousin told the Daily Dot. After they posted it in r/videos, the rant quickly garnered 7,000 upvotes and began trending.

Many Reddit users commented that they found the video disturbing given the kid’s apparent young age. TheRealElite’s bio states that they’re in seventh grade, so there’s a good chance the ranter is also in middle school. Other commenters expressed thanks that social media wasn’t around when they were growing up, as the explicit video could haunt the kid in the future.

Luckily for him, at least, Hentai Haven seems to be making a comeback. An update on its homepage states that Fakku, a site that hosts explicit anime and manga, is helping bring back the site.

Alyse Stanley is a video game and culture reporter based in Virginia with words at Polygon and USGamer. When she’s not writing about memes, she edits Unwinnable’s monthly magazine. You can follow her on Twitter @pithyalyse.